January 2018 Nikkei article about cold fusion

Here is a translation of a Nikkei Shimbun article by me and Mr. Google. The original Japanese text is below. I have not translated the figure. I may do that on Wednesday.

Cold fusion: overturning the conclusion that it was “fake”After 30 years, a series of confirmations

Jan. 14, 2018

Nikkei Shimbun morning edition

In "cold nuclear fusion," hydrogen atoms generate a nuclear fusion reaction at room temperature to produce energy. When this phenomenon was first observed in 1989, many researchers began studying it, but the experimental results were not replicated and the boom quickly subsided. Roughly 30 years have passed since then. The occurrence of excess heat, which is thought to be caused by a nuclear reaction, has been repeatedly confirmed, mainly in Japanese research groups which have continued this research with quiet dedication, and which have uncovered clues about the nature of the reaction.

A research group including Toyota Group's technological think tank Technova (Tokyo, Chiyoda-ku), Nissan Motor, Tohoku University, Kobe University, Kyushu University, Nagoya University participate in the results of observation of excess heat which is thought to be caused by hydrogen nuclear reaction. These groups have obtained research funding from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and conducted experiments for two years, ending in October 2017.

In order to compare the experimental results from different groups with each other, researchers similar installed laboratory equipment Kobe University and Tohoku University, and used experimental specimens with common specifications. This duplicated experiment was carried out 16 times while varying conditions such as sample composition and temperature, and the conditions of heat generation were investigated. In the best-performing case, a 120-gram sample was used, which produce excess heat of 10 to 20 watts, lasting about 1 month.

In the experiment of the same group, a sample of a metal powder was made with a combination of palladium and nickel, copper and nickel, and deuterium gas (which is hydrogen formed by one proton and one neutron in the nucleus) or ordinary hydrogen gas, was injected and the reaction occurred on the metal surface. This method of injecting hydrogen gas into a metallic material with a microstructure is the prototype that was developed in 2005 by Professor Emeritus Yoshiaki Arata of Osaka University.

In 2001, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries succeeded in "transmutation" in which cesium and strontium are changed to other elements by permeating deuterium gas through a multilayered film made from palladium, or the like. Dr. Yasuhiro Iwamura who was responsible for this research moved to Tohoku University and participated as a core member in this research project.

The cold fusion method announced by researchers in the United States about 30 years ago was to electrolyze heavy water with palladium electrodes. Although this method has been attempted extensively abroad, the research group such as Technova has concentrated on the method of permeating deuterium (or hydrogen) gas into the metal rather than the electrolysis method, because they consider it more promising.

Based on these experiments, the conditions under which an exothermic reaction occurs have been clarified. First of all, it is necessary to combine two kinds of metal such as palladium and nickel, rather than using a single type of metal. Moreover, when the ratio of palladium and copper was decreased to palladium 1: nickel 7 or copper 1: nickel 7, the generation of heat was enhanced.

"A specimen made at an appropriate ratio has a clearance structure smaller than a nanometer (one-billionth of a meter) on the surface, and hydrogen seems to enter into this space and a reaction occurs." Professor Emeritus of Osaka University explains Prof. Akito Takahashi, who is a senior adviser to the research group and Technova.

If the proportion of palladium or copper is high, these metals surround the specimen around the specimen tightly, and it is impossible to create "places" where hydrogen react with each other. "Heat is generated in experiments by electrolysis, probably because these nanostructures were made by accident on the metal electrode surface," said Prof. Takahashi. It is also clear that exothermic reaction occurs even when the species of hydrogen gas injected is not deuterium gas but normal hydrogen gas. Also, when injecting gas, when the temperature inside the device was raised to 200 to 400 degrees Celsius, it was found that the exothermic reaction did not stop within a short time, but rather continued for several weeks.

At Tohoku University's equipment, a temperature so high that it that melts ceramics attached with metal specimen also occurs. "There is no doubt that an unknown reaction that cannot be explained by ordinary chemical reactions is occurring" (Prof. Iwamura). What kind of reaction is actually going on? "Multibody fusion", which is said to occur in an extremely fine space, has been proposed by Prof. Emeritus Takahashi. Four deuterium atoms condense to one point and nuclear fusion occurs once beryllium is formed. This breaks into two helium and heat is generated. In this case there is no radiation emitted, unlike the case of normal fusion.

The research group sees that it is possible to generate 1 kilowatt of heat which is two orders of magnitude larger than the present by improving the structure of the sample, increasing the amount, devising the temperature condition and so on. Cold fusion, which was once said to be "fake science" because the experiment could not be reproduced, is still distrusted by many researchers. Professor Emeritus Takahashi says: "I would like to demonstrate results that will convince anyone, and to ask the world to once again evaluate the significance of this research."

It is interesting to see that the work of the eminent Japanese LENR researchers finally reached the financial centre of Nikkei. Hopefully it will attract capital to intensify the LENR reseach in Japan. That will no doubt inspire investers elsewhere and the LENR ball will finally gain momentum.

Attentive readers will note that the funding for this project ran out in October 2017. I have no idea whether additional funding has been provided. I suppose the reporter would have mentioned it, if there was any.

Attentive readers will note that the funding for this project ran out in October 2017. I have no idea whether additional funding has been provided. I suppose the reporter would have mentioned it, if there was any.

So Jed, what was the reason to publish the article now? Next time maybe put a date in front.

The research group sees that it is possible to generate 1 kilowatt of heat which is two orders of magnitude larger than the present by improving the structure of the sample, increasing the amount, devising the temperature condition and so on. Cold fusion, which was once said to be "fake science" because the experiment could not be reproduced, is still distrusted by many researchers. Professor Emeritus Takahashi says: "I would like to demonstrate results that will convince anyone, and to ask the world to once again evaluate the significance of this research."

Those who see the Japanese results as indicating LENR should agree with this: if you have replicable LENR, it can be optimised and indisputable output power (if maybe not 1kW) obtained. The failure or success of serious well-funded projects to replicate and optimise LENR can be taken as an indication of whether what was originally seen was LENR or measurment error.

It remind me the semiconductor's PN anomalies in the 1920s before we understood it was PN junctions, while everybody was sure 95% purity for germanium was just fantastic sufficient result for a safe replication.

Okay, I removed a number of Google-translate artifacts from this translation, and I translated the labels in the figure. The new version of the English text is below, followed by the figure in Japanese and translations of the labels. As I noted, I think one of the labels is technically inaccurate; there are no electrons in the 4-body fusion in the lattice.

The translation artifacts were interesting because most of them were more or less correct, but they did not sound like a human. For example, one phrase was translated "clearance structure" ( すきま構造 ) meaning the structure of the gaps or clearances within the lattice. That made sense, so I ignored it in the first pass. It made sense to me, reading the Japanese text. Maybe not to you. I decided to make it "interstitial structure" instead. That sounds like what you would expect in English.

Another example of a more-or-less right translation was "Dr. Yasuhiro Iwamura who was the responsible researcher" at Mitsubishi That should be "lead researcher" or "principal researcher" I think. "Responsible" is understandable, and may be correct in some contexts.

Google translate has been improved with AI techniques. The older versions often came up with nonsense or with a totally different meaning of a word that did not fit. It still translates the Japanese word for "excess heat" into "fever" which is only excess heat in a living body.

- Jed

Cold fusion: overturning the conclusion that it was “fake”After 30 years, a series of confirmations

Jan. 14, 2018Nikkei Shimbun morning edition

In “cold nuclear fusion,” hydrogen atoms generate a nuclear fusion reaction at room temperature to produce energy. When this phenomenon was first observed in 1989, many researchers began studying it, but the experimental results were not replicated and the boom quickly subsided. Roughly 30 years have passed since then. The occurrence of excess heat, which is thought to be caused by a nuclear reaction, has been repeatedly confirmed, mainly in Japanese research groups which have continued this research with quiet dedication, and which have uncovered clues about the nature of the reaction.

Observations of excess heat which is thought to be caused by a hydrogen fusion reaction have made by members of a research group, including Toyota’s technological think tank Technova (Tokyo, Chiyoda-ku), Nissan Motor, Tohoku University, Kobe University, Kyushu University, Nagoya University. They obtained research funding from the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and conducted experiments for two years, ending in October 2017.

In order to compare the experimental results from different groups with each other, researchers installed similar laboratory equipment at Kobe University and Tohoku University, and used experimental specimens with common specifications. This duplicated experiment was carried out 16 times while varying conditions such as sample composition and temperature, and the conditions of heat generation were investigated. In the best-performing case, a 120-gram sample was used, which produce excess heat of 10 to 20 watts, lasting about 1 month.

In the experiment of the same group, a sample of a metal powder was made with a combination of palladium and nickel, copper and nickel, and deuterium gas (which is hydrogen formed by one proton and one neutron in the nucleus) or ordinary hydrogen gas, was injected and the reaction occurred on the metal surface. This method of injecting hydrogen gas into a metallic material with a microstructure is the prototype that was developed in 2005 by Professor Emeritus Yoshiaki Arata of Osaka University.

In 2001, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries succeeded in “transmutation” in which cesium and strontium are changed to other elements by permeating deuterium gas through a multilayered film made from palladium or the like. Dr. Yasuhiro Iwamura who was the lead researcher in this project moved to Tohoku University and participated as a core member in this research project.

The cold fusion method announced by researchers in the United States about 30 years ago was to electrolyze heavy water with palladium electrodes. Although this method has been attempted extensively abroad, research groups such as Technova have concentrated on the method of permeating deuterium (or hydrogen) gas into the metal rather than the electrolysis method, because they consider it more promising.

Based on these experiments, the conditions under which an exothermic reaction occurs have been clarified. First of all, it is necessary to combine two kinds of metal such as palladium and nickel, rather than using a single type of metal. Moreover, when the ratio of palladium and copper was decreased to palladium 1: nickel 7 or copper 1: nickel 7, the generation of heat was enhanced.

“A specimen made at an appropriate ratio has an interstitial structure smaller than a nanometer (one-billionth of a meter) on the surface, and hydrogen seems to enter into this space and a reaction occurs.” Professor Emeritus of Osaka University explains Prof. Akito Takahashi, who is a senior adviser to the research group and Technova.

If the proportion of palladium or copper is high, these metals surround the specimen around the specimen tightly, and it is impossible to create “places” where hydrogen react with each other. “Heat is generated in experiments by electrolysis, probably because these nanostructures were made by accident on the metal electrode surface,” said Prof. Takahashi. It is also clear that exothermic reaction occurs even when the species of hydrogen gas injected is not deuterium gas but normal hydrogen gas. Also, when injecting gas, when the temperature inside the device was raised to 200 to 400 degrees Celsius, it was found that the exothermic reaction did not stop within a short time, but rather continued for several weeks.

At Tohoku University’s equipment, a temperature so high that in some cases it melts ceramics attached to the metal specimen. “There is no doubt that an unknown reaction that cannot be explained by ordinary chemical reactions is occurring” (Prof. Iwamura). What kind of reaction is actually going on? “Multibody fusion”, which is said to occur in an extremely small space, has been proposed by Prof. Emeritus Takahashi. Four deuterium atoms condense to one point and nuclear fusion occurs once beryllium is formed. This breaks into two helium and heat is generated. In this case there is no radiation emitted, unlike the case of normal fusion.

The research group expects that it is possible to generate 1 kilowatt of heat, which is two orders of magnitude larger than the present reactions, by improving the structure of the sample, increasing the amount reactant, devising changes to the temperature conditions and so on. Cold fusion, which was once said to be “fake science” because the experiment could not be reproduced, is still distrusted by many researchers. Professor Emeritus Takahashi says: “I would like to demonstrate results that will convince anyone, and to ask the world to once again evaluate the significance of this research.”

Electron [pointing to outer shell of atom]Deuteron [pointing to nucleus]

Deuterons and electrons assemble [Translator’s note: This seems inaccurate; these are ions.]

FUSION OCCURS

Helium is produced

An unstable condition

FISSION INTO 2 BODIES

Heat is generatedHelium produced

An experimental device in which heat from the reaction is being observed (Kobe University)

THE HISTORY OF COLD FUSION

1989 A British and an American researcher report observation of excess heat from the electrolysis of deuterium.1994 ~ 98 A Resources and Energy Agency research group concludes that they were “unable to observe excess heat.”2001 Yasuhiro Iwamura of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (now research professor at Tohoku U.) uses deuterium gas to produce “selective transmutation.”2005 Prof. Emeritus Yoshiaki Arata of Osaka University confirms heat and helium production from nanoparticle palladium samples.2015 ~ 2017 New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) research project

I think if you knew most of the LENR researchers, you would find most did not "support" Rossi. Most of the "closed" forums I know of had very little positive posting the first few years of Rossi. They just kept quite. In fact a sizable number have doubts about any Ni based systems.

OG,

I stole your post from the Rossi thread. Your comment about Ni, jogged my memory about this in Jed's translated news article. What do you think?

"Based on these experiments, the conditions under which an exothermic reaction occurs have been clarified. First of all, it is necessary to combine two kinds of metal such as palladium and nickel, rather than using a single type of metal. Moreover, when the ratio of palladium and copper was decreased to palladium 1: nickel 7 or copper 1: nickel 7, the generation of heat was enhanced."